By DALE KUGATH
Sportswriter
The streak has ended. The New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva boys’ basketball team snapped its losing streak of seven games by defeating Randolph for the second time this season.
Earlier in the week, NRHEG fell on the road to the Medford Tigers.
NRHEG is in seventh place in the Gopher Conference with a 3-8 record and climbed to 5-15 overall.
Medford
MEDFORD – A hot shooting Medford squad jumped in front early and forced NRHEG to play catch-up basketball the entire game. It didn’t work as the Panthers were soundly thumped by the Tigers in Medford Feb. 5, 69-45.
Nick Mangskau and Spencer Tollefson were the only Panther players to reach double digits. Mangskau topped NRHEG with 15 points and Tollefson added 10. Trevor Tracy managed six points.Medford had three players reach double digits, led by Alex Spinler’s 17-point night.
The NRHEG junior varsity earned a 52-36 triumph over Medford.
Randolph
NEW RICHLAND – The Panthers needed a strong second half to snap their seven-game losing streak and bounce Randolph for the second time this season, 77-59 at New Richland Friday.
The two teams battled back and forth most of the first half. NRHEG took a 32-29 lead to the locker room when Tracy knocked down a 30-footer at the buzzer. Mangskau sparked the Panthers with 10 first-half points.
NRHEG started the second half with a 14-2 spurt to open up a 16-point lead and was never in trouble again.
The Panthers nailed four three-pointers and canned 13 of 20 free throws in the second half to outscore Randolph 45-30.
Mangskau pumped in 14 points in the second half, Kevin Kalis got free inside for 11 and Tracy knocked down nine points.
“It was a nice team win. Thankfully, we got that losing streak off our shoulders,” said NRHEG coach Pat Churchill. “We had four guys in double figures and one of them was not our leading scorer.”
Mangskau led NRHEG for the second straight game. He nailed three triples and canned seven of eight free throws on the way to a 24-point night. Kalis, who continues to improve in the paint, scored 18. Tracy knocked down four three-pointers during his 15-point night.
Eighth-grader Oakley Baker came off the bench and added 11 points.
Tollefson, who was in foul trouble much of the game, was held to a season-low six points.
“Mangskau and Kalis had nice games for us. The big guy keeps getting better,” said Churchill. “Tracy continues to shoot well from behind the arc and Baker showed a nice touch when he was in there.”
NRHEG had eight threes and was 17 of 26 from the foul line. Randolph made four triples and drilled 13 of 17 free throws.
The NRHEG junior varsity improved to 16-4 with a 55-45 win over Randolph.
NRHEGH travels to Blooming Prairie Friday, a team it lost to 68-50 in the first meeting.
The Panthers face United South Central at home Feb. 22.
Medford 69, NRHEG 45
NRHEG 20 25 45
Medford 37 32 69
(NRHEG (45): Mangskau 15, Tollefson 10, Tracy 6, White 4, Schwierjohan 3, Kalis 2, Krell 2, Mrotz 2, Schendel 1.
NRHEG 77, Randolph 59
Randolph 29 30 59
NRHEG 32 45 77
NRHEG (77): Mangskau 24, Kalis 18, Tracy 15, Baker 11, Tollefson 6, Schwierjohan 3.
NEXT: Friday – NRHEG at Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m.